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19th Century History

Blondin Walked Across Niagara Falls By Tightrope

Circus Star "The Great Blondin" Became Known as "The Hero of Niagara"

By , About.com Guide

Charles Blondin, a French circus star, electrified American audiences throughout the 1850s with his thrilling performances walking a tightrope. And he attained enduring fame by walking across the Niagara River within sight of the famous falls on a tightrope in 1859.

Blondin's feat was witnessed by thousands of fans who had gathered along the cliffs overlooking the river as he set out on hemp cord stretched across a span of 1,100 feet.

These vintage images depict Blondin's amazing tightrope performances at Niagara Falls.

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Charles Blondin, who walked across Niagara Falls on a tightropeBlondinTesting the rope Blondin would use to walk across Niagara FallsTesting the WireBlondon on the tightrope, high above the Niagara River.Blondin On the TightropeBlondin would repeat his feat while carrying a man on his back.Blondin Carried a Man
Spectators watching Blondin as he walked the tightrope above the Niagara River.Spectators Watched BlondinIllustration of Blondin on his tightrope high above the river.View of the TightropeIllustration of Blondin on the tightrope carrying a man on his back.Blondin's Feat IllustratedBlondin on the tightrope at Niagara Falls, in an ape costume, pushing a wheelbarrow.Blondin as an Ape
Blondin crossed the Niagara River on his tightrope while walking on stilts.Blondin on StiltsAbraham Lincoln was depicted as Blondin in an 1860 political cartoon.Lincoln as BlondinBlondin at the Crystal Palace in London in the early 1860s.Blondin at the Crystal PalaceA young Italian woman, Maria Spelterina, matched Blondin's feat in 1867.Maria Spelterina

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